Boophone disticha flower umbel

Image information

Description

Boophone disticha, the sore-eye flower may cause sore eyes in humans through accidental contact. A dense cluster of red and pink flowers appear from spring to autumn on a sturdy flower stalk from a large bulb. The bulb wears a thick tunic layered of thin, papery scales. The top part of the bulb is usually visible above ground. The flower stalks become longer after flowering while the seeds are forming. At the end of the flowering season the round, dried out remains of the flowerhead often breaks off and distributes the seeds as it rolls, wind-driven over the veld in tumbleweed fashion.

Although the plant bears the Afrikaans name of gifbol (poison bulb), it is so widely used in traditional medicine that its continued existence is under threat. The distribution of the gifbol ranges from the southern coastline to tropical Africa (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2010; Germishuizen and Fabian, 1982).